There’s a lot to love at The Swallow at the Hollow.  Set down a quiet side street with a gravel path leading to make-shift parking under the trees, we feel like we’re visiting friendly neighbors.  A mountain of chopped wood decorates the front [...]]]>
Ribs, Mac N Cheese, Brunswick Stew & Griddled Biscuit

There’s a lot to love at The Swallow at the Hollow.  Set down a quiet side street with a gravel path leading to make-shift parking under the trees, we feel like we’re visiting friendly neighbors.  A mountain of chopped wood decorates the front of the cabin and a row of garden boxes invite you in.  The porch is calling our name.  Without a doubt, it’s the most adorable BBQ restaurant in the city.  And, the staff is so welcoming you feel like family before you sit down.  We’ve visited Swallow at the Hollow more than a few times and the staff is always super friendly.

The food oozes equal charm.  Perfect biscuits are griddled with butter, giving each biscuit half just the right amount of butter.  Only a drizzle of honey is needed over each warm half, and I’m in biscuit heaven.  Macaroni and cheese is super smooth and creamy… homey in a very, very good way.  And, tangy Brunswick stew wakes up your taste buds.  Then, gargantuan slabs of baby back ribs taunt you.  You’ll never finish.  You won’t even come close.  (I was starving and only managed 2 small ribs off the end.  There were leftovers for days.)  Both of our racks of ribs dangled over each side of the plates.  They aren’t kidding when they say a “full” rack of ribs.

Ribs, Mac N Cheese, Potato Salad & Cabin Bread

Mmm… cabin bread.  Freshly baked and lightly griddled with a teeny tiny bit of butter, it’s really yummy.  Yeah, there were more than a few carbs consumed at this meal.  And, we’ll do it again.  The biscuits and cabin bread are worth every calorie.  The ribs are were moist, tasty and melt-in-your-mouth tender.  We disagree slightly on the bbq sauce.  One of us doesn’t love it.  (It’s a bit too vinegary and tomato-y.  It needs some more spice.)  The other thinks it’s “pretty good”.  We both like the mustard sauce for the pork and turkey.

Hmm… where did these come from?

Corn muffins straight out of the oven, courtesy of that superb staff, maybe?  Perfect with butter and honey, we LOVE them!  These muffins define southern style cornbread… err muffins.

We’re not huge country music fans.  (Or, to be completely honest, we’re not country music fans at all.)  So, we’ve never seen a show.  But, if you are a fan, you’re bound to like one of the top notch performers that visit this charming venue.  Check out their website for a list of upcoming performances.

The Swallow at the Hollow
1072 Green Street
Roswell, GA 30075
678 352 1975

Two crabcakes, each topped with a perfectly poached egg, sit next to a generous portion of home fries that have a lovely deep golden brown shell.  I love my home fries to be crisp on the outside and creamy in the middle.  So, these were perfect for me.  Fluffy [...]]]>
Chesapeake Crab Benedict

Two crabcakes, each topped with a perfectly poached egg, sit next to a generous portion of home fries that have a lovely deep golden brown shell.  I love my home fries to be crisp on the outside and creamy in the middle.  So, these were perfect for me.  Fluffy rolls were sliced, nicely toasted and wisely served on the side.  I think this is a great idea.  I’d rather have crispy toast on the side than a soggy limp muffin underneath.

Shrimp & Grits (There are two eggs… one is hidden under the other.)

The sauce might be showing a bit of separation in this picture.  But, the taste was incredible.  Using crawfish as a base to their sauce, the richness and depth will be something that all future shrimp & grits dishes will need to top.  The flavor was extremely memorable in the best possible way.  Normally, an overly decadent usage of butter might scare me away from a dish… not this time.  I was stealing bites of this left & right.  The shrimp were so perfectly cooked they nearly melted in our mouths.  In fact, they were so tender they reminded me of rock shrimp.

At least 7 or 8 shrimp were hidden in this dense sauce.

Does this look familiar?  Yes, the Shrimp & Grits were so addictive we came back the next day.  We both ordered our own… no sharing.  Interestingly, the sauce was a bit different on the second visit.  While it was very good in its own right, the flavor wasn’t quite as rich and intense as the day before.  This sauce was smoother and more polished with a distinctive freshness from sweet red and green peppers.  But, we both missed the decadent butteriness and intense crawfish flavor from the day before.  The crawfish flavor was still present.  It was simply more subdued and subtle.

We’ll be back… without a doubt.

The Depeaux
303 East Howard Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 377 7234

]]> http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2010/02/02/the-depeaux-part-deux/feed/ 0 http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2010/02/01/gator-bites-the-depeaux/ http://www.reviewatlanta.com/2010/02/01/gator-bites-the-depeaux/#comments Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:15:10 +0000 michele http://www.reviewatlanta.com/?p=1345

Gator Bites

The Depeaux is dishing up these perfectly fried bites made of alligator tail meat.  As South Floridians at heart (and frequent visitors of New Orleans), we’ve sampled gator here and there.  It’s usually disappointing.  Sometimes it’s overcooked, sometimes it’s tastesless, and other times we find ourselves wondering… where’s [...]]]>

Gator Bites

The Depeaux is dishing up these perfectly fried bites made of alligator tail meat.  As South Floridians at heart (and frequent visitors of New Orleans), we’ve sampled gator here and there.  It’s usually disappointing.  Sometimes it’s overcooked, sometimes it’s tastesless, and other times we find ourselves wondering… where’s the gator?  Not here.  These tender pieces of gator were crispy golden on the outside & moist inside.  Taste-wise, the flavor was similar to that of a richly fried cutlet of tender pork… or maybe veal.  There is a hint of fish in flavor & texture, but, in a good way.  We really, really enjoyed this.

And, by the way, this is an appetizer.  It was beyond generous for two.   Three or four could easily share this as a starter.

With Mardi Gras right around the corner, this is going to be our go-to spot to grab a bite in Decatur.  The renovated train depot is charming and the staff is super friendly.  Love it!

Next Up:  The Depeaux — Part 2 — Two Days of Brunch

The Depeaux
303 East Howard Avenue
Decatur, GA 30030
404 377 7234

The Grammy Awards — January 31, 2010

For a list of the nominees:  Grammy.com

I really don’t have any favorites.

Avatar

Opens December 17, 2009

For those with kids, the pony rides will be the highlight of this unusual market.  The flea market has two sections.  One section (indoor) with new to newish goods.  Dollar store finds, clothing, jewelry, and other random items sold by those renting the indoor space.  The outdoor section is a collection of used garage [...]]]>

For those with kids, the pony rides will be the highlight of this unusual market.  The flea market has two sections.  One section (indoor) with new to newish goods.  Dollar store finds, clothing, jewelry, and other random items sold by those renting the indoor space.  The outdoor section is a collection of used garage sale items.  We saw everything from toilets to stereo speakers to a battered banjo.

The food court was wrapping it up for the day.  So, I can’t vouch for the food.  But, a Mexican band was drawing a crowd.  And, The Nutty Bavarian had a stand offering my favorite… candied cinnamon cashews.

Pendergrass Flea Market

For Summer Shade Festival Information:  SummerShade.org

–And–

Corks & Forks A Food & Wine Event

Admission:  $35 in advance or $45 at the gate

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for: Saturday, August 29, 2009 — 1:00pm [...]]]> Summer Shade Festival 2009
An artist market & food market with music & 5k run
August 29, 2009 (10am-11pm) & August 30, 2009 (11am-7:30pm)

For Summer Shade Festival Information:  SummerShade.org

–And–

Corks & Forks
A Food & Wine Event

Admission:  $35 in advance or $45 at the gate

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for:
Saturday, August 29, 2009 — 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Cabot Creamery
Dolce’, Kris Calloway
Geisha House, Kris Calloway
Graveyard Tavern – Justin Bright
JCT Kitchen, Fry Ford
Murphy’s, Gregg McCarthy
ONE Midtown Kitchen, Tom Harvey
PARISH Foods, Nick Melvin
Peasant Bistro, Russell Hayes
Rathbun’s, Kevin Rathbun & Kirk Parks
Rosebud, Ron Eyester
The Melting Pot,
The Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View, Christian Messier
Trader Vic’s, Michael Broderick
Trois, Drew Van Levvan

Chef & Restaurant Lineup for:
Sunday, August 30, 2009 — 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Bhojanic, Archna Malhotra Becker
Cabot Creamery
Canoe, Carvel Grant Gould
Graveyard Tavern, Justin Bright  
Holy Taco
Legal Seafoods, John Piper
Livingston, Gary Mennie 
Metrotainment Bakery
Rise Sushi, Tony Wang
Serpas True Food, Scott Serpas
Six Feet Under, Nancy Mitchell
TAP, Adrian Villarreal
The Melting Pot,
The Shed at Glenwood, Lance Gummere
TWO urban licks, Cameron Thompson
Woodfire Grill, Kevin Gillespie

For More Information on Corks & Forks:  Corks & Forks

Grant Park
537 Park Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30312

German Bierfest 2009 @ Woodruff Park August 29, 2009 2:00pm – 7:00pm

Over 30 German beers will be poured and available for consumption.  Addmission includes all the beer you can SAFELY consume and commemorative glassware for the first 1,500 visitors!

Admission:  $30 in advance or $35 at the gate

For More Information:  German Bierfest 2009

Sample food from 25 area restaurants for $1 – $4 Some of the restaurants participating will be:

Pig n Chik BBQ 57th Fighter Group Restaurant Mojo’s Dog House Wild Ginger Thai Restaurant Galla’s Pizzeria Gilly’s Vintage Pizzeria Wan Lai Connections Cafe Chick-fil-a Maison Robert Fine Chocolates & Pastries

And, the Beer Garden will offer Yuengling, Fat Tire, Sun [...]]]> Taste of Chamblee
August 29, 2009
11:00am – 9:00pm

Sample food from 25 area restaurants for $1 – $4
Some of the restaurants participating will be:

Pig n Chik BBQ
57th Fighter Group Restaurant
Mojo’s Dog House
Wild Ginger Thai Restaurant
Galla’s Pizzeria
Gilly’s
Vintage Pizzeria
Wan Lai
Connections Cafe
Chick-fil-a
Maison Robert Fine Chocolates & Pastries

And, the Beer Garden will offer Yuengling, Fat Tire, Sun Rye Light Summer Ale, Bud & Bud Light!

For More Information:  Taste of Chamblee

The Food:  Five Star Barbecue — pulled pork and chicken O.B.’s — ribs and sweet tea Black Tie Barbecue is serving up even more bbq

The Beer:  Peroni, Sierra Nevada, and Miller Lite

Entry Fee: 21 and Older – $10 10 to 20 – [...]]]>
August 15, 2009 — 4:00pm – 10:00pm
 Harmony Park in Oakhurst — south of downtown Decatur

The Food:  Five Star Barbecue — pulled pork and chicken
O.B.’s — ribs and sweet tea
Black Tie Barbecue is serving up even more bbq

The Beer:  Peroni, Sierra Nevada, and Miller Lite

Entry Fee:
21 and Older – $10
10 to 20 – $5
Children under 10 admitted FREE!
Sorry, No Coolers Allowed!

For More Information and Music Schedule:  DecaturBBQFestival